Philip j



'No Model.)

P. J. HARRAH.

VEHICLE SHAFT HOLDER. No. 522,114. Patented June 26-, 1894.

UNITED STATES PATENT FFIQE.

PHILIP J. HARRAII, OF BLOOMFIELD, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO SIMON LEHMAN, OF SAME PLACE.

VEHICLEHSHAFT'HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 522,1 14, dated June 26, 1 894.

Application filed December 6.1893. Serial No. 492,912. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PHILIP J. HARRAH, of Bloomfield, in the county of Greene and State of lndlana, have invented certain new and 5 useful Improvements in Shaftl-Iolders; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. This invention contemplates certain new and usefulimprovements in shaft holders and 1t has for its object the production of a simple and inexpensive device of this nature which will prevent the shafts from rattling I when in use and cause but minimum wear and friction and which will securely hold the shafts elevated out of theway when not in use.

The invention consists, primarily, of a shaft holder having a spring arm designed to be secured to the shaft or thill iron, and provided at Its rear end with a fork bent at right angles thereto and having two similar arms provided with front curved portions and lower reduced ends which latter are designed to bear against the lower rear edge of the axle when the shafts are in use, holding the curved portions out of contact with the clip and axle. The invention also comprises the detail construction, combination and arrangement of parts, substantially as hereinafter fully set forth and particularly pointed out in the claims. I In the accompanying drawings:-Figure 1 1s a view in side elevation showing the positlon occupied by my improved holder when the shaft is in use. Fig 2 is a view with the shaft raised. Fig. 3 isa vertical longitudinal sectional view. Fig. 4 is an end view.

Referring to the drawings, A designates a fork composed of two arms a and a connect- 1ng portion a in the under side of which latter is a squared recess or cut-away portion a The .arms a are bent to nearly right-an- 5 gles and each of said arms is provided with a curved or thickened portion a and a lower reduced end 01*, a gradual curvature leading from said portion'a, to said ends.

B is a spring arm rigidly held in recess a 50 by a bolt or rivetb passed through coincident holes in said arm and the connecting portion a. At its forward end this armis rigidly secured to the shaft or thill iron. By attaching the spring to the under side of the forward end of the fork the fullstrength or tension of such spring is obtained.

In practice, whenthe shaft is in use the arms of the fork overlap the clip on the axle and the reduced ends of said arms are in contact with the rear lower edge of said axle, thus holding the curved or thickened portions of said arms away from or out of con tact with both the clip and the axle and thus prevent any wear or disfigurement of the latter. At' the same time the contact of the re- 6 duced ends of the arms with the lower edge of the axle exerts sufficient hold on the shaft to prevent rattling thereof. When the shaft is elevated the reduced ends of the arms of the fork pass under the axle and the curved or thickened portions of said arms are brought into contact with the lower rear edge of said axle and by reason of the gradual curvature of said portions the hold on the shaft is gradually increased until a wedge-like support is obtained, the contact of the curved or thickened portions of the fork serving to firmly hold the shaft elevated out of the way. From what has been said it will be seen that all. contact between the holder and the axle is at the lower, rear edge of the latter and hence there is no wear on the rear of the axle or on the clip and all scratching and disfigurement are avoided. Then again any wear of the lower rear edge of the axle is compensated by the gradual increase in thickness of the arms of the fork and the latter when brought into contact with the lower rear edge of the axle or with the under side thereof will exert such pull on the spring-arm as to hold the shaft elevated.

Another advantage of my present inven tion is that in the event of breakage of either of the parts a new part can be readily substituted, or a spring arm of greater tension 5 can be substituted for one previously in use.

The advantages of myinvention are apparrent to those skilled in the art to which it appertains and it will be particularly observed that a shaft-holder constrlicted as herein de ma scribed comprises but two parts, and that it is extremely simple, inexpensive, strong and durable.

. I claim as my invention-- 1. The combination with a vehicle axle and shaft, of a holder for said shaft consisting of a spring-arm secured to said shaft at one end, and a fork extending from the free end of said spring arm and bent at right angles thereto, said fork having two arms provided each with a lower reduced end and front curved surfaces which are designed to bear against the lower rear edge of said axle, substantially as set forth.

2. As an improved article of manufacture, the shaft holder herein-described, consisting PHILIP J. I-IARRAII.

Witnesses D. W. HEATON, WILLIAM A. J AMISON. 

